For years, the "Oldtimer im Obwalden" event, or "O-iO" for short, has been one of the main dates on the annual agenda of many classic car drivers. There are good reasons for this, as this meeting is one of the largest of its kind in Switzerland and organizer Ruedi Müller manages to prepare very special attractions every year.
Above all, however, the meeting is a largely stress-free event, where the main aim is to meet colleagues and friends and admire a large number of old cars.
Picturesquely embedded
Once again, the large village of Sarnen, the capital of the canton of Obwalden, was the center of the O-iO on 19 May 2018. With its picturesque village center at the foot of the Landenberg, a suitable backdrop for the old cars is guaranteed.
And when it's not raining, which was the case for most of the event, you also have a view of a beautiful Alpine panorama.
A village becomes mobile
There is almost no getting through for the arriving cars in the village. The streets filled up with event participants and visitors early in the morning. It seemed as if the whole village was on its feet and strolling through the streets.
Presumably this was indeed the case, as the residents of Sarnen also enjoyed the spectacle and enjoyed the many food stalls.
Huge range
The range of cars that visitors to the I-iO get to see is huge. Over 500 cars were registered for the Saturday alone, and almost 700 in total over the two days.
While the oldest vehicles, such as the Matrini 20-24 Double Phaeton Roi-des-Belges, are already well over 100 years old, the youngest cars, such as a BMW 525e, are just 30 years old. Even younger are the Teslas and Morgan Threewheelers, which want to present themselves to the event visitors, but are of course out of competition, so to speak.
However, there is not only a wide age spectrum to admire, but also a huge arsenal of brands, which repeatedly reveals vehicles that you might otherwise never see all year round.
Who has heard of the 1977 Comtesse one-person car or the Vauxhall Victor from the 1960s? Many visitors were probably also no longer familiar with the Nash brand, nor with American LaFrance or Wolseley. All in all, an impressive demonstration of mobile cultural assets.
However, some drivers had resorted to their second choice, as the weather seemed less certain than it turned out to be. As a result, many a classic was withheld from the public.
Rolling museum for the whole family
A striking feature of the meeting in Sarnen was the large number of families and children. Ruedi Müller is keen to introduce the next generation to the classic car hobby.
In Obwalden at least, he succeeds in doing this excellently, and looking at all the shining children's eyes, the old car should have a long future ahead of it.
It also works without gas
Classic car enthusiasts are also open to alternative drive concepts.
Two Detroit Electric cars could be admired in Sarnen. There was also a Ford Model A equipped with a wood carburetor system, which smelled strong and demanded a lot of work from the driver when firing up and while driving.
Thanks purely to gravity, the soapboxes were then able to move forward, completing their "race run" as an additional attraction on Saturday afternoon.
Almost a Ford Model A meeting
There was probably no other type of car at the O-iO with more vehicles than the Ford Model A. The four-cylinder cars, built between 1927 and 1931, were represented in Sarnen in many different versions and also held their own on the rides.
Despite over 4.8 million Model A cars being produced, these vehicles, which unlike the Model T are equipped with conventional controls, are among the rarities on the road today, which makes it all the nicer to see so many of them in one place.
Steam Punk and Belle Epoque
Ruedi Müller would probably like to take the whole village of Sarnen back in time, which is why he promotes historical clothing at his event.
And so, historic skiers with laths streamed through the village center as they did back then and many car owners had also dressed up to match their cars.
Because the car has now become a cultural asset, there was of course also plenty of culture on offer, such as the exhibition in the Metzgernsaal, where visitors could admire old clothes and utensils from the Belle Époque era. And in between stood Raphaelius, who showed his steam-punk fantasies and invited visitors into a true fairytale world, a mechanical parallel world to today's computer age, so to speak.
Through woods and meadows
After the public rides in the early afternoon, all participants were allowed to put their old cars back in gear to tour the beautiful Obwalden valley on various routes.
Depending on stability and braking ability, there were steeper and less steep route suggestions and the classic car drivers took advantage of this opportunity despite the onset of rain.
Enthusiastic spectators were everywhere along the roadside, greeting (and commenting on) every passing classic car in a friendly manner.
Shift to the enclave
Sunday (May 20, 2018) then brought rather mixed weather conditions and cooler temperatures as the caravan shifted to the Obwalden enclave of Engelberg to experience another day of classic car delights.
So while the Swiss ice hockey team won silver at the World Championships and Harry and Meghan tied the knot on the island, the classic car enthusiasts, quite a few of whom had also traveled from neighboring countries, celebrated two peaceful days in the center of Switzerland and enjoyed their old classics. That's how it should be.
